Everybody's fool
by katryn-ciardi
Summary: finally, a title i like! ok, so it's a bit cliche but please read and review! the DHr parts are coming soon, i promise!:D
1. Twists

Disclaimer: blah blah blah... Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, JK does. But I swear I WILL own Draco Malfoy...someday. *grins evilly*  
  
A/N: I know it's weird to start a D/H fic pairing like this but it's essential, I tell you! Gwahahaha... ok, I should shut up now shouldn't I? lol  
  
Turn to the side.  
  
Bed sheets rustled.  
  
Still not working.  
  
Bed springs creaked as the figure shifted his weight to the other side.  
  
To hell with this!  
  
A 15-year-old boy got up, running a hand through his scraggly black hair and un-sticking his sweaty t-shirt from where it had stuck like film on his body. He tore it off and threw it haphazardly towards the other side of the room, then stood up, fumbling in the dark. His hands automatically reached towards his bedside table and he pushed his glasses on his narrow nose. Not that having them on helped any. He focused on the distant light of the window of the cabana he shared with his cousin Dudley, who was snoring loudly in the opposite end. He dragged a chair from the small coffee table and sat there, enjoying the moonlight as if he could feel it, and thought.  
  
He'd been doing nothing but for the whole summer, much of which hadn't gone by at all. Once he left King's Cross Station barely a week ago, his aunt and uncle (practically the only family he had left, ever since-) had announced that they were going to an Island; St. Barts, off the coast of France at a resort called the Isle de la Paix. Two days later they arrived there and all further communication between him and the Dursleys had ended, aside from the occasional bickering over bathroom usage between him and Dudley. It had been 3 whole days and he had done nothing but sit in their cabana, craving to get out of there but at the same time unwilling to face what he knew he had to eventually.  
  
Deep down he hated himself for it. He knew that he should be doing something more productive considering his circumstances, and he wished he could, but ultimately, he was too tired, too lazy to act upon his thoughts and intuition. So he sat there, doing the only thing he had so far done that summer and nothing but.  
  
Dudley gave a loud snort; Harry Potter glanced back at him, and then inspected the darkness for anything unusual. Since the events of the past school year, he had been on edge. He wouldn't admit it considering how many outbursts he's had over it, but seeing it printed on paper like that made the fact that Voldemort was back so real that it threatened to come to life off the page and strangle him.  
  
Not that dying would be such an awful thing, Harry thought dismally, his brain going against his will and replaying the events of a few weeks ago in his head. Wands – sparks – light – Neville – the orb – Dumbledore – Voldemort – Bellatrix Lestrange – Sirius –  
  
He stopped there, taking every once of his willpower to cease any further thoughts of his godfather. The heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach came again like a sucker punch; the feeling he had been trying to avoid all summer. It was hard to tell which feeling was creeping across him the most: Fear, anger, sadness, hatred or guilt. It all felt like one big ball of fiery emotion at the pit of his stomach waiting to explode.  
  
But then he wasn't about to deny that the vacation so far hadn't been useful. It gave him time to think about everything the past year away from everything: the appraising stares, the egging on, and false assurances. In this remote little island with barely 200 people he doubted he would encounter anyone who would know him. It hadn't been dull beyond belief but it was getting close to that. He suddenly wondered what Sirius would have done had he been in his position. He'd hated being cooped up at home all of last school year.  
  
He immediately regretted thinking about him as a thousand thoughts assaulted him like one of the monster waves he had seen some of the guys here surf. Harry gripped the armrests on the chair he was sitting in and started grinding his teeth in frustration. He had to find something to do so he's stop thinking so much about all those trivial things.  
  
He strode noisily towards the sliding doors leading to the veranda, seeing clearer in the dark now that his eyes had adjusted, not even bothering to put on a fresh shirt over his battered jogging pants. He knocked a glass of water to the floor intentionally, daring Dudley to wake up and tell on him, but the big oaf just kept on snoring loud as a giant in his bed. But then the honest truth was, Vernon and Petunia wouldn't have cared if he'd been sneaking out at night. They were in a different country and could deny ever knowing Harry in a heartbeat.  
  
He slammed the door shut, and for a moment he was afraid the glass would fall out of it's frame and shatter to the ground. Instead it stood there, as steady as ever, shining his reflection back at him.  
  
Harry stared at himself. Bright green eyes red and swollen behind absurdly dorky glasses, unruly bed hair and a disshelved look about him that gave you the impression that he wasn't quite right in the head. Maybe he was completely bonkers; he as sure as hell felt like it during times he saw and heard things no one else had.  
  
The fifteen year old made his way across the beach towards his favorite spot on the island. It was this huge rock a few meters off shore and at the same time bordering the side of a lagoon. It took the better half of an hour to get there but it was worth it. He kept picturing what it would look like at this hour at night. Maybe he'd find a cool new creature and take it back to Hogwarts to show Hagrid.  
  
The prospect of being back at school cheered him up a bit but then his mood darkened as he realized school was still almost two moths away.  
  
It was high tide by the time he got there because it was full moon. He was secretly glad he was wearing his trainers as the rocks he used to get himself up there were jagged. He stared up at the moon and wondered how Lupin was doing but then he looked at the scenery around him and all further thought was pushed out of it.  
  
Giant waved were crashing against the cliff face, swallowing the lagoon and sending sprays of ocean water even up where Harry was sitting. He ran his tongue over his lips, tasting the oceans saltiness and leaned back on the rock, savoring the feeling. This was actually the first time he'd ever gone to the beach. The full moon was turning the dark clouds magnificent shades of purple and black. The breeze swept past him, messing his hair up even more but cooling him so that he'd forgotten the stuffy heat of the cabana.  
  
Amidst the waves there was a bright orange pinprick speeding towards shore. A windsurfer. Harry marveled at his control and maneuvering against the tsunami-like waves. He squinted, watching him. It was amusing and breathtaking, like he felt how passionate this guy was to be out at this ungodly hour.  
  
A huge wave formed behind the guy. Harry wanted to yell and warn him but all of a sudden he ditched his sail and rode the wave towards shore, skimming the waves as if it were nothing.  
  
Harry leaned back against the rock with a sigh. The whole show had reminded of Quidditch, his favorite thing in the world and practically the only thing he had actually been good at aside from Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
  
Hours passed and he had only noticed when the sky was tinged with pink. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed it was almost sunrise.  
  
"Pretty, isn't it?" a voice prompted from behind him.  
  
Surprised, he turned around so fast that he cricked his neck. He massaged it and stared at the girl with long dirty blond hair sitting a few meters above him. He wetsuit had been pulled down to her waist, revealing a simple white bikini top and a sparkling sapphire blue navel ring. Harry nodded dumbly, wondering if she was a figment of his imagination as well as the inflating feeling he had in his guts.  
  
The girl smiled brightly and slid down the rocks to sit beside him. He noticed a tattoo of a dragon circling her right bicep as well as her chipped black nail polish. "I'm Caitlin, but you can call me KC." She said, holding out her hand. "What's your name?"  
  
Harry stared at her. It had been a while since someone had asked him that because he'd gotten used to being recognized as The Boy who lived. Somehow it was a relief to be anonymous even to this one person. Then he realized he must have seemed like a total nutter to just be staring at her like he was. He took her hand and shook it. "I'm..." he paused.  
  
Caitlin seemed amused. "Forgot your own name?"  
  
Harry's eyes widened. "No.... No! I just-"  
  
"It's quite all right." She smiled. "Happens to me a lot. You can tell me when you remember." She winked at him and propped herself up on her elbows on the rock behind them. Silence fell but it wasn't uncomfortable like you might have thought. It was... something else.  
  
"I'm Collin," he finally said, saying the first name that had popped into his head.  
  
She looked at him curiously but then smiled again, wider this time, showing a straight row of perfectly white teeth. He noticed her K9s were exceptionally long. "Nice to meet you, Collin. You from around here?" she asked.  
  
Harry (or is it Collin now?) shook his head. "No, I'm vacationing here with my aunt and uncle. And you?" He had asked because she hadn't spoken with a French accent like Fleur Delacour, but she looked like she was what with the blond hair and all. Then it suddenly occurred to him that this was the chance he had been wanting: To be a whole different person even for a few weeks.  
  
"Nah, I'm from New York but my mum's ¾ French or something like that. Come to think of it, my family's a whole hybrid of every nationality possible," She laughed and the sound filled the air like something from a music box. "What school are you from?"  
  
"Er, Stonewall High." It was partially true. That was the school he was meant to go to before the letters from Hogwarts came. "And you?" He was secretly glad he could at least be social if he wanted to, him being in his circumstances and all.  
  
Caitlin ran her hand through her hair, her highlights catching and reflecting the murky mid-sunrise light. "Manhattan School of the Arts, but I take some classes at Juliard." She bit her lip. It was true. Sort of.  
  
Collin (Harry was now starting to call himself this in his thoughts) might have been a wizard but he had grown up with Muggles so he wasn't completely ignorant. "Oh, you're a dancer," He smiled at her with what he hoped was a playful grin.  
  
She turned to look at him seriously. He felt his insides get heavy again at her stare and his heart started beating at a this-is-definitely-not-healthy rate. "No," she said slowly. Then all of a sudden she grinned, making her blue eyes sparkle. "I'm a cheerleader!"  
  
Then they both laughed for no reason. Then something occurred to him.  
  
"Were you the one surfing earlier?" he asked.  
  
She nodded, about to laugh again. "You saw me beefing it out there, huh?"  
  
"Beefing it?" He had so much to learn about normal teenage lingo. "You were really good! Seriously, I actually thought I was looking at a professional or something." He didn't mention that he thought she had been a guy.  
  
She raised her eyebrow but nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Right. Almost drowned in the last wave, though." Caitlin looked down at the water, inspecting it. "But the water looks great now! You wanna go for a swim, shoobie?"  
  
"E-excuse me?"  
  
"Shoobie." She repeated, pointing at his feet. He stared down at his socks and trainers. "Oh."  
  
She pulled her hair into a ponytail with the scroungie he had thought was a bracelet on her left wrist. "So you coming?"  
  
Harry would normally have declined, but he was supposed to be Collin now, but it didn't mean that he didn't wish he had some gillyweed right about now. He wasn't exactly the world's best swimmer. But nonetheless he took off his shoes and socks and stood up to make his way down the cliff face.  
  
Caitlin watched him curiously. "Where are you going?"  
  
"Down to the beach...?" he answered lamely.  
  
She laughed and pulled the wetsuit down off her. Harry had to bite his tongue so that's he'd wince and not stare at her. "I know a shortcut. Come on," She grabbed his hand and, with strength he would never have thought capable from a girl, tossed his over the edge.  
  
He landed with a splat into the water. Harry surfaced and looked up at her only to find her grinning and laughing her ass off. "Nice shortcut." He sputtered, coughing out mouthfuls of water.  
  
Caitlin took a swan dive off and landed in the water in front of him with barely a splash. She surfaced and laughed again.  
  
"I hereby award you 10 points!" He said authoritatively, making her laugh again.  
  
"And I award you 2 points of that face plant!" she started giggling again.  
  
Harry adopted a look of mock hurt. "Hey, that hurt you know..."  
  
Her smile vanished. "Oh my god! I'm sorry! I didn't think that it'd- I mean.... Oh god, I'm sorry Collin!"  
  
He loved the way she said the name. He wanted to be Collin a lot worse now. "No problem." He said, waving his hand regally then laughed. "Truth is, I'm used to a lot worse injuries that doing a face-plant into water."  
  
She twirled around in the water the started floating on her back, looking like she thoroughly enjoyed being in the water. "Tell me about it. I broke my ankle last summer and I had to stay home the whole time. It sucked beyond sucking." She sighed then looked up at him.  
  
Harry felt his heart inflate to more then two times it's normal size.  
  
"You sure you can swim in jogging pants?"  
  
He looked down into the clear water, now slightly illuminated by the slowly rising sun. He admitted he did look queer and it was causing him some difficulty to swim. At those words, Caitlin's face broke into another grin and she ducked underwater again. Harry spun around, trying to find out which direction she'd gone until someone tugged at his pants from underwater. He took a deep breath and pulled the rest of his body into the water.  
  
Harry tried to pry her hands off his pants but she kept looking up at him with a determined grin, trying to tug them off. Finally she let him take her hands off and for some reason he drew her arms up around his waist, pulling her closer so that her fingertips were touching the skin on his stomach.  
  
Caitlin shook her head, making her hair form wispy clouds. It made her look ethereal, like a mermaid caught in a net and was trying desperately to get away. At this thought Harry let go of her hands, but instead of pulling away she put her hands to his face, fingertips tracing his features as if she were trying to find out what he was. Her eyes lingered over the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead, then she pulled away and twirled around in the water, still smiling at him. Jets of sunlight were now piercing the water and she danced around them, looking more beautiful that anything he'd ever seen before. Harry swam after her, trying to catch her around the waist. He was acutely aware of how unlike himself he was acting, but the thought was lost as the only thing he was thinking about was catching her. Suddenly she stopped and took his hand, pulling him back towards the surface.  
  
Harry took in a lung full of air, unaware of how much he had wanted to breathe again until he actually was. He brushed his unruly hair out of his eyes and looked at her. He was pleasantly aware that she was still holding his hand, and wished that she hadn't noticed so she wouldn't let go.  
  
Caitlin was panting, and he didn't blame her because she'd been underwater longer than he had. She finally let go of his hand to brush her hair back. Harry noticed the numerous piercings she had on her ears.  
  
She turned to look at him. "Where d'you get that scar?" she asked curiously, all traces of playfulness gone now.  
  
Harry frowned slightly. "Car accident, when I was a kid." He could feel her eyes on him. "Both my parents died," he added without needing to.  
  
Caitlin frowned. "I know how that feels. My mum died a few years back. How old were you when it happened?"  
  
"Barely one." He answered vaguely. "You aren't gonna comfort me or anything?" he added with a bit of humor in his voice.  
  
She looked at him squarely in the eye and staring into the sapphire blue was almost painful that he wanted to look away. "I hated hearing people say 'sorry' when my mum died because I knew they weren't sorry at all. But if you want me to comfort you I will." She smiled at him.  
  
"No need to; I've been hearing it all my life and I'm getting sick of it." He looked away from her and into the almost risen sun. "It's beautiful." He suddenly realized that he hadn't seen the sunrise for years now, and it felt great to just be alive.  
  
"Come on, I've got to get back to the house before my father notices I'm gone. Do you have to be anywhere?" She started swimming back to shore.  
  
Harry's mind traveled back to the still sleeping Dursleys back at the resort. "No," he said defiantly, paddling after her.  
  
* 


	2. And Turns

Disclaimer: Regretfully, I admit that I do not own Harry Potter (sadly, the series and all copyright privileges are the property of Miss JK Rowling), but when I succeed with world domination I assure you that I will own Draco Malfoy. Hehehe...ü This is post OotP, so, yeah... spoilers for those who haven't read it. If you haven't, have you been living in a rock or something!? Joking!ü Yeah, the only character I own is Caitlin and her friends... for now.  
  
A/N: I'm so happy! I actually got nice reviews! Wipee! To all of you who wrote me, thank you soooo much! You have inspired me to post again so soon.... Tee hee.ü To everyone who's waiting for the D/H parts, I promise, I just need to wrap the summer up in two more chapters and then they'll be back at Hogwarts and we can have more fun!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Papa?"  
  
Caitlin pushed the door open and peered into the house, as if checking for anything dangerous. Satisfied, she turned back to her companion and motioned him inside. "Hurry before my dad notices-"  
  
"Caitlin Cimmerian Moore, is that you?" a voice called from a room at the end of the long entrance hall.  
  
The girl cringed as though hit. She managed a sheepish smile at the boy standing behind her then strode into the house with more confidence now that she was sure she wasn't waking anyone. She deposited her surfboard, sail, wetsuit and duffel bag in the hall and went on towards the room from where the voice had issued. Then, as if shocked that she had forgotten something, she turned around.  
  
"You coming, Collin?" she asked with a slight smile playing on her pale- rose colored lips. She motioned with her hand for him to follow her.  
  
Harry Potter jammed his hands into the pockets of his (though he would never admit it) hand-me-down jogging pants, wondering why in the world he was there at the moment. Half of him wanted to turn around and walk the whole way back to the resort where they were staying but one glance at the girl walking in front of him and all doubts were pushed to the back of his mind.  
  
Caitlin bounced into the kitchen with a bright grin, her blond hair flashing in the early morning sun. "Mornin' Papa!" She swept past the counter and kissed the man in front of the stove on the cheek.  
  
"Morning Maui," He swept her up into a one-armed hug and squeezed her.  
  
"Papa, this is Collin. I met him..." she checked the wall clock. "46 minutes ago." She stuck out her tongue and smiled at Harry, her head cocked slightly to the side. "Collin, this is my dad. Well, step dad." She winked and peered over at the stove. "Ooh, breakfast. Collin's staying over to eat, all right?"  
  
The man nodded, but not without another glance towards Harry, who nervously tried to flatten his hair without success. Then the man glanced at his feet.  
  
"Shoobie, huh?" he asked his stepdaughter with a smile.  
  
Caitlin's eyes went wide from nicking a piece of bacon from a plate. Then she turned a delicate pink. "Oh, yeah..." She chuckled feebly. "Well, we'd better go change now, Papito. I'm sure Spyke wouldn't mind lending Harry a few of his old stuff." She slipped past her father's glare, grabbed Harry's hand and ran back through the hall where they had come from. Once out of her father's earshot, she let go of his hand and looked at him.  
  
"Are you all right? You haven't spoken much since we left the beach."  
  
Harry shook his head, looking a bit lost. "I'm fine," he said, unconvincingly.  
  
She suddenly reached out and brushed the hair off his forehead, so that she could see his scar better. His skin prickled where their skin had touched. "I think it's beautiful, Collin. I don't see it like I know you do." she whispered, answering all the questions and doubts that he had been thinking at the moment.  
  
He stared at her. How had she known that he had been thinking about how horrid it was to have to wear that scar for the rest of his life and the burden he had to carry because of it? He opened his mouth to ask her but all of a sudden she smiled her dazzling smile and spoke before he could.  
  
"I know what you need!" She spoke with such zeal that he knew it would be hard to contradict her if she suggested anything absurd. Nothing against her but sometimes she acted a bit queer, maybe even more queer than he knew he acted. It wasn't a bad thing – in fact, it was one of the things that made him want to be the one to make her laugh. "You need to take a long hot bath to chill out! I'll put on a Bob Marley CD and you can use my bath soaps and – oooh!"  
  
Caitlin squealed excitedly, and before Harry could say anything she poked him in the small of the back and pushed him up the stairs. There were 5 closed doors around the place and she pushed him towards the one on his immediate right.  
  
"Oh shoot!" She snapped her fingers. "I forgot my duffel bag downstairs. Get comfy and don't disappear, ok?" She grinned and ran back downstairs.  
  
Harry sighed and messed up his hair, stopping in mid-gesture, remembering how his very own father had the same habit. The smallest of smiles tugged at his lips and, feeling a bit more like he had an hour ago, looked around the room Caitlin had pushed him in.  
  
At one glance you couldn't tell if it was a girl's room or a boy's. Posters were plastered all over the ceiling, with space only for the fluorescent light in the middle and the black light bulb from the top of a carousel- shaped mosquito net with plastic butterflies clipped to it. The draping was also covering a black glittery beanbag in the farthest right corner. Blue and orange cloths were hung like a turret over the bed and the wall where the bed was pushed against was painted midnight blue and plastered with glow-in-the-dark stars and a crescent moon lamp was in the center, right over the bed. A drum set stood against the wall where the windows were, which were draped with plastic rings as a sort-of curtain. The effect was kind-of cool because the mid-morning sun was now casting little bubbles of light across to the other wall (painted like something you'd see in a museum), which was bare aside from a small desk littered with papers and half-open books.  
  
"Like my room?"  
  
Harry spun around, shocked. Suddenly, he felt like he was intruding into her personal space, but she just grinned at him.  
  
"Like the pictures?" She dropped her bag and strode over to where he had been standing, looking at the pictures on the shelves of her TV console. She fingered the silver frame of one with her as a child and a man with the look of someone who had lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time.  
  
"He's my real father." Caitlin explained. "My mum remarried after I was born, so the only parents I knew for a while were her and George down there." She cocked her head towards the direction of the door. "But then I found this old letter from him to my mum when they were still in school together, and a few months later we visited him in prison."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry," Harry said lamely.  
  
"Sorry for what?"  
  
"That your real father was in prison,"  
  
"He's dead now, so you don't have to be sorry about anything." She turned and walked towards a door that had been concealed with a large poster of a band called "The Rasmus". "Bathroom's through here, make yourself comfortable." With that, she turned and left.  
  
Harry stared into the open door, wondering how he had gone from Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, to Collin Whatever-His-Last-Name-Is with the perfectly normal Muggle life.  
  
*  
  
"Does he know about you?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"Caitlin, he has so know. You're the one assigned to take care of him for the whole of summer-"  
  
"And I still have no idea why granddad chose me."  
  
"Because you're the one who knows everything about all this wiz-"  
  
"Shh! Spyke, shut up or he'll hear you. I need to gain his trust first and being another guardian won't do that. And after what he's been through, I think he deserves a little fun, don't you think?" She grinned.  
  
"No, I don't think so." He paused, staring at her. "But I will help you. Do I have to be nice to him?"  
  
"Yes, you do big brother. Now go take those clothes to him, I have to get ready for tonight's little get-together."  
  
*  
  
Someone knocked on the door and a second later, someone's voice filtered through.  
  
"I've got your clothes. Am I allowed to come in?"  
  
Forgetting where he was at the moment and enjoying his bath far too much, Harry grunted in a sort-of "yes" and sunk his nose and mouth back under the bathwater. He didn't know what it was with the bath soaps and salts Caitlin owned, but they had a weird calming effect on his body. He closed his eyes and a small part of his brain was aware that he heard someone walk in.  
  
"I put the clothes beside the sink, aiit?"  
  
Harry shot up straight, taking a huge gulp of air and splashing water onto the floor. He checked if he could see – erm – anything. "What – who – how – when -?" he sputtered, green eyes wide in shock, his brain slowly registering that a guy was standing in front of him, gray eyes narrowed in unmistakable dislike.  
  
"I'm Spyke, KC's older brother." His eyes were clear and deep, and currently appraising him as if he were a piece of meat. "You must be Collin," Spyke said the name as if it left a bad taste on his tongue. He glanced at a small black pile of clothes beside the tub and bent down to pick it up. Harry felt his face flush.  
  
"You don't have to – those are just my old clothes." He said in a rush, hoping that his thoughts would happen. Please let go of my boxers. Please oh please oh please oh please let go of them right now and close the door before Caitlin comes in and -  
  
"Don't worry about it." A ghost of a smile passed across his handsome features. "I'll throw these in the wash for you." He took two long strides towards the door and Harry almost sighed in relief, but then he paused at the last moment. "You should hurry. Everyone's arriving."  
  
Harry opened his mouth to ask who 'everyone' was, but the door closed, leaving him alone once again. At a loss, he looked at the clock shaped like a crescent moon above the mirror and jumped again, realizing that two hours had passed since he'd gotten into their house.  
  
*  
  
After he'd pulled on the clothes Spyke had lent him and thought "What kind of a father names his son 'Spyke'?", he made his way downstairs to look for Caitlin and politely excuse himself from staying any longer.  
  
"Oh hey, Collin!" Her bright smile greeted him as he entered the kitchen again. And again, he had to bite his lip to keep from staring at her. She was wearing a short khaki shirt and a sleeveless top that read "In your dreams." She swept past him, tray full of food in one hand and the other reached for his and pulled him towards a room beside the kitchen.  
  
There was a sunken pit in the center of the room with pillows all around. A whole wall had been dedicated to the television alone and the wall beside it opened up into the backyard. Three guys were sitting in the pit with another girl, who, curiously enough, had a tattoo of a scorpion on her neck.  
  
"Hey KC!" one of the guys yelled in greeting. He had short brown hair and golden brown eyes and was wearing a leather bomber jacket.  
  
Caitlin put the tray down on a small coffee table and kissed him on the cheek. "Andrew! I'm so glad you could come! How's Berkeley?"  
  
The boy named Andrew shrugged. "S'all right. How's MSA?"  
  
"Still a hell-hole." Everyone laughed.  
  
Caitlin pulled Harry in front of her and put an arm around his neck. Harry felt the heat rise up to his face and tried vainly to push it down. As if he wasn't used to people staring at him. The only difference this time was he actually wanted their approval. "This is Collin, my new friend,"  
  
"Sounds like preschool all over again, chica," the girl with the tattoo said in a rough voice, and for some reason everyone laughed.  
  
"That's Serena, the queen of LA." Caitlin said, rolling her eyes.  
  
The girl stood up and bowed regally, giving Harry a generous view of her stupendous cleavage. "Serena Rodriguez at your service," she said with a laugh. The boy with brown hair grabbed the hem of her baby T and pulled her back down into the cushion they were sharing.  
  
"And this is Andrew Carson," Caitlin smiled.  
  
Andrew stretched out his hand and Harry shook it., trying to follow along with the complicated little hand gestures he was doing. "Nice to meet you, Collin." he said with a nod.  
  
Caitlin let go of his hand and sat down on the lap of a guy with dreadlocks. "This is my teddybear, Aaron Wilson." She pinched his cheeks. "Isn't he gorgeous?" She giggled and winked at Harry, who had now sat down on a cushion beside Spyke.  
  
Aaron looked at him with dark eyes and finally nodded, as if he had deemed him all right to be friends with them. Caitlin, seemingly happy that no one had fought so far, stood up and took a seat beside Harry.  
  
"So are you all set to get the hell out of here?"  
  
*  
  
Draco Malfoy raised a gloved hand and brushed his silvery blonde hair out of his storm blue eyes, which were currently scanning the Quidditch pitch for any speck of gold. A blur flew past him, making him fly to the left, almost slamming him into one of the empty stands. He glared at the blur, which was now recognized as Nicolas Finch as he stopped in mid-air, looking for someone to pass the Quaffle to.  
  
Why I'm forced to play with these prats is beyond me, he thought sourly, glancing down at the ground where his mother was standing, looking like she couldn't care less. He gripped the handle of his Silver Bullet (the latest broom that had been released) and sped through the rest of the players, wanting to finish the game as soon as possible.  
  
A second later something feathery flew past his nose and he did a cartwheel in shock. That had been no easy feat on a broom, and the immediate rush of blood to his head made him woozy, but not so that his instincts didn't kick in. With a final glance, looking for where Chang, who was playing Seeker for the opposition, was, he sped after the Snitch, hell-bent on finally getting it back to where it belonged: in the box.  
  
His teammates frowned at him as he floated back to the ground, the struggling Snitch in hand. Mikael Despido flew past him, hissing "finally." Not that he had been expecting them to cheer, but a little appreciation would have been nice. Draco tossed the golden ball back into the open casket and glared at his mother, who was now gloating to the rest of the parents.  
  
Disgusted, he made his way back to the mansion, wanting to avoid anyone else. For some reason all the heads of the Pureblood families had come to their house today and his cousins had invited him to a game of Quidditch. Obviously, it had ended badly. He dumped his broom into the shed along with all the other ones he'd collected over the years, all top-line of course, and, skirting the bushes, made his way into the forest.  
  
"Draco? Draco! Oi, MALFOY!"  
  
Draco jumped and, whipping out his wand, scanned the trees savagely.  
  
"You idiot, open the compact thingy I gave you!"  
  
Confused, he dug into his pockets and pulled out a sleek black square.  
  
"Open it, stupid!"  
  
Irritated, he snapped it open then threw it to the ground. Whoever it was, he was majorly fucking around with him at a very bad time.  
  
"Finally!" an exasperated voice cried. Something flashed and a girl with long dirty blonde hair was suddenly standing in front of him. "Miss me?" she added with a playful grin.  
  
Unfazed at her sudden arrival, he crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "Not really," he replied slowly, taking her in. It had been more than a year since he'd seen her and it still gave him a kick.  
  
The girl cocked her head to the side in a surprisingly innocent sort of way. "Then why are you carrying the gift I gave you around?" She wouldn't admit it but she praised herself for her timing. It gave her a strange twinge in her stomach to see him in his Quidditch gear again, and she mentally slapped herself for it. Not a good time to reminisce about an ex boyfriend.  
  
"Cut the bull." He sat down on a patch of leaves and stared up at her projection. "Why are you suddenly showing up like some... some...-" Angel? Vision? "bitch who has extremely horrid timing?"  
  
She raised her eyebrow. "Still have that silver tongue, huh?"  
  
"Only difference is that it's not playing with yours this time." He smirked again and set about removing the gear from his forearms. His wand had been tucked away safely back into his robes. He was confident that her almost- ghostly presence could do no harm to him.  
  
The girl's projection sat down as well so that they were at eye-level again. "Fine, I'm actually talking to you again because I need your help."  
  
"With what?" he asked, mildly interested.  
  
"You have to join us." She stated simply, blue eyes boring into his. "You know you don't want what your father had, Draco. And I'm as sure as hell you don't want to end up like him." Now she was speaking over his grunts and objections. "Please, Draco. We really need you on this."  
  
"We? You and that vigilante group? Sorry to be the one to bust your bubble, bopkin, but you have no chance against him. Not even with that delusional grandfather of yours. And I heard from Mother that that stupid git is being trained to actually join you!"  
  
She paused, staring at him. Then she smiled wryly. "Does that pouting thing you do with your mum still work?"  
  
For some reason this made him laugh, which was an incredibly hard thing to do. "You have a short attention span: Did anyone ever tell you that?"  
  
She nodded. "All my professors." Then her face suddenly turned serious. "Draco, you owe me this. Please? At least just say you'll think about it." Her eyes were pleading.  
  
He sighed and leaned into the tree behind him. "What do you need me for in the first place?" he countered.  
  
"You're his enemy, hence, and equal. I hate to say it but you know a lot more than he does, and you can help him, Draco. I know switching sides isn't best for your well-being, but please?"  
  
He regarded her thoughtfully. "I'll think about it," he said finally. The girl gave a loud whoop but he added, "if you give me a kiss the next time we see each other."  
  
She stopped in mid-jump and stared at him in surprise. Then her eyes suddenly turned sad. "Draco, you know it's really over between, you know.... So..."  
  
"Caitlin, all I'm asking for is a kiss." He stood up and looked at her straight in the eye. "What's so wrong about that?"  
  
"What's so wrong is that I know you've been in love with that Muggle, what's her name? Granger, the whole bloody time. You can't lie to me anymore, Draco. I know you as well as I know myself." she replied coldly.  
  
"Then you must not know me very well." He cut in, matching her glare.  
  
"Think about it." And then the projection flickered and disappeared, leaving him staring at nothing with too much to think about. 


	3. Truths

Disclaimer: Regretfully, I admit that I do not own Harry Potter (sadly, the series and all copyright privileges are the property of Miss JK Rowling), but when I succeed with world domination I assure you that I will own Draco Malfoy. Hehehe...ü This is post OotP, so, yeah... spoilers for those who haven't read it. If you haven't, have you been living in a rock or something!? Joking!ü Yeah, the only character I own is Caitlin and her friends... for now.  
  
A/N: I thought the other 3rd chapter sucked, so I changed it. Tee hee. Hope you like it this time around. Sorry, I'm a perfectionist.^^  
  
Always-In-The-Dark - thanks so much! You don't know what that means to me! I don't like fics with new characters either, but I thought I'd add a little flavor. Again, thanks! You rock!  
  
HermioneGMalfoy - thank you sooo much! I really hope you update soon! *hugs*  
  
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The next two weeks swept past in a blur of parties, late nights and mind- boggling experiences. Not of the X rated kind, mind you, but it was well known among their little group about the doings of Serena and Andrew. Spyke seldom went with them, but when he did it was even more fun. The best part about it was whenever they went back with Harry to his cabana and he could see Dudley's face turn remarkably like Uncle Vernon's. And all because Harry actually had friends that were, despite their radical behavior, normal.  
  
"Aw, fuck! Tomorrow's your last night? Are you serious?" Serena cried that night over the din of the crowd. Someone crowd-surfed over to them and she was pushed away but the sudden rush of people.  
  
Harry turned back to the bar where Aaron was still downing shots of tequila. He himself had drunk two and a half large bottles of beer, and was starting to feel it in his knees. He had never been one to drink or smoke or go to rave parties and never imagined himself to have such normal luxuries, but now that he was here he'd get the most out of it he could before he had to face what he knew he would eventually.  
  
"That's too bad that you're leaving," Aaron said suddenly. He was still staring at the golden brown liquid in his shot glass, eyes clouded. Harry knew he was still smoking a joint. "I haven't seen Kace smile so wide since she broke up with her last boyfriend. You really must be something special if you can do that."  
  
Harry blushed and followed in Aaron's stead, now staring at his beer bottle. "I was wondering about that, though. Why are you guys even friends with me? I don't fit in in your crowd, that much is obvious."  
  
"Haven't you learned anything from us these past couple of days?" Aaron asked. He finally met Harry eye-to-eye (well, at least after he brushed a stray dreadlock away from his tan face) and frowned. "You don't need a reason for everything, man. Kace is your friend and so are we. That's it. Nothing else to think about. I think that's your problem, Collin. You think way too much, just like KC. Did I ever tell you about the time-..."  
  
Harry tuned him out and swiveled around on the bar stool to watch the bouncing crowd. He spotted Serena and Andrew dirty dancing in one corner. Spyke was the lead singer for the band that was playing; hence Caitlin was right beside him playing the electric guitar. Their band, Void, finished their last song and trooped off stage. Harry knew that Caitlin would be beside him soon, adrenaline pumping and sweat-drenched hair crackling like electric eels all around her face. Her make-up would be smudged but she'd still look fantastic.  
  
"Better be careful with what you're thinking about, Collin. No telling who's reading it."  
  
Spyke's comment jarred him out of his silent reverie and recalled buried thoughts back into his consciousness. Why hadn't Voldemort done anything until now? How were all the members of the Order? Would he still continue studying Occlumency the next school year? Would there even BE a next school year? Why hadn't he seen anyone that was supposed to be guarding him? Where was Dumbledore right now? How come Ron and Hermione hadn't written to him so far?  
  
"Are you all right?" Caitlin's voice suddenly asked.  
  
Harry looked up from staring at the stained wooden counter top and met her piercing blue eyes. "I..."  
  
Caitlin glared at her older stepbrother. "Spyke what did you say?!" she said, voice uncharacteristically shrill.  
  
The boy shrugged and blew his light blonde hair away from his face casually. "Nothing."  
  
She threw him another dirty glance then turned back to Harry. "Come on, you need to get out of here. We have to talk either way."  
  
Harry let her push him out of the hot, stuffy, overcrowded club and into the cold night air, which assaulted him the second he stepped out. It left a stinging sensation in his nostrils but his brain was still buzzing so he didn't pay any attention to it. Caitlin led him down to the beach but they weren't so far from the club so they could still hear the music.  
  
"Ok, where do you want me to start?" she asked when they sat down by the water.  
  
Harry turned to look at her slowly and was shocked when he saw that her eyes had lost their usual sparkle.  
  
"Let's eat some smores. It'll give you something to do if you don't want to talk."  
  
15 minutes later, they had a fire going and were toasting marshmallows.  
  
Harry glanced at her. "What did you want to talk to me about anyway? It sounds serious. What, did Andrew get slashed in the mosh pit again?" He started laughing at his own joke, all too aware of Caitlin's silence. He took a huge bite of his monstrous marshmallow and then was surprised to hear her sudden laugh.  
  
"You have some, um, on your cheek," she said in between giggles. She reached over to him when he couldn't get it with her tongue. Just like in the movies, she lost her balance and Harry grabbed her elbows to support her.  
  
"Whoa, watch it." he said, voice suddenly softer. He felt like his senses were magnified by 10 and all the nerves had suddenly been transferred to the hand that was holding her arm. He couldn't get his eyes off her lips. What was it with her lips? Before he knew it he was leaning forward to kiss her but all of a sudden she turned her face away. Harry felt his face burn and let go to stare into the fire. He had abandoned wearing his eyeglasses the day after he met her to try to look like he belonged with them. Now he knew that wouldn't be possible.  
  
"I'm so sorry. It's not that I don't like you, but it's...well, it's complicated."  
  
"Why is everything so goddamn complicated? Why can't it just be simple for once? Everything just HAS to mean something else, doesn't it?" Harry said angrily, tossing a twig and watching it burn in the fire.  
  
"I get what you're talking about, really, I do. But you know you're destined for a lot of great things, Harry Potter, and I'm here to help you get there."  
  
Harry stared at her, mouth wide open in shock. But before he could say anything she started talking again.  
  
"Well, I guess I should start at the top. I know I haven't been completely honest with you, but you started with calling yourself 'Collin'!"  
  
Harry didn't know why, but he smiled and it seemed like that was all Caitlin needed from him so that she could go on with her story.  
  
"Don't get me wrong, I like the name 'Collin', but Harry suits you perfectly. While we were in the water, I knew I should let you have a little fun. God knows I would highly appreciate it if I were faced with what you are. Ok, let me explain that thing about being in the water as best I can because not even I understand it sometimes.  
  
"I'm an empath. That's someone who can tell how other people are feeling; like a magnet for emotions. It's not like mind reading because that's impossible, but it's something close to that. Just like how you feel what the Dark Lord feels at times. Kind-of like an aftershock except magnified. So that's why I made up my mind about introducing you to Serena and the others. I thought you'd like having a little fun. I hope you understand I had your best interests in mind but now I'm not so sure I should have done that."  
  
She glanced at him awkwardly then her eyes traveled to the remains of a cigarette in his left hand. Harry followed her gaze then took a puff as if telling her that he actually liked smoking. Caitlin sighed.  
  
"Now you've got that whole depressed poet thing going on," she said, trying to copy his slouch and laughed. "Don't worry though, I think it's sex-eh." Then laughed again. "Oh fudge, where was I?"  
  
"Can I ask you something first?" Harry interrupted. She nodded. "Why? I mean, why are you even here? Was this some cruel trick to mess with my head or something?"  
  
Caitlin pulled her eyes away from his and stared into the fire. "I was hoping you wouldn't have to ask me my whole family history," she muttered, more to herself.  
  
"What? What does your family have to do with-"  
  
"It has to do with everything, Harry. All right, I'll tell you but I don't think you'll take it very well." She took a deep breath and tossed him the bag of marshmallows, indicating that it would be a long story so he'd better occupy himself. Personally, Harry didn't feel like eating, but he took the bag anyway, and Caitlin appreciated it greatly.  
  
"As I'm sure you're unaware, Dumbledore was married once, but then his wife died giving birth to a baby girl. He named her Katrina, and had to raise her by himself because he never remarried, as you obviously know.  
  
"Katrina studied at Hogwarts, obviously. She was a radical and knew the ins and outs of Hogwarts almost as well as the Marauders. In fact, her boyfriend was one. If you haven't guessed it yet, it was Sirius Black. Well, after they graduated, both became Aurors and Katrina changed her last name. Unfortunately, she got bitten by a vampire on a job, while she was pregnant with Sirius' baby.  
  
"Now, Dumbledore, being the brilliant man that he is, found a way for her to have the baby. But then before the baby was born Sirius was accused of killing that rat, Peter Pettigrew, and was sent to Azkaban. Katrina remarried to a pureblood named George Moore, and they raised the child. If it's not obvious yet, I'm the baby.  
  
"When I turned ten I found a love letter from Sirius Black to my mum, and that's how I found out. A few months later we visited him and..." She trailed off, looking bleary eyed. Harry, too stunned to say anything, hadn't noticed but wished she would go on before he'd say anything he knew he'd regret.  
  
Caitlin cleared her throat, wiped her eyes, and continued. "A year later, I had a recital with Juliard and my mum died on her way there because it was held during the day. My mum wasn't careless, she knew what precautions she had to take, what with being a vampire and all. But I so wanted her to be there for me, and because of that a month later she couldn't even see me off the boat to Durmstrang." Harry noticed her hand was gripping a handful of sand. "Anyways, I continued having a Muggle life during the summers and attending school at Durmstrang until Voldemort came back into power. And now for some reason Dumbledore wants me to guard you, the Boy Who Lived, because he thinks I have an upper hand being a half-vampire and all."  
  
Her face looked sour, like she had just swallowed a lemon. She took a deep breath and looked at him, expression apologetic. "I know it's really confusing but that's just the way things turned out. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just thought you'd like a taste of a normal life, cause you've got a lot ahead of you." She looked up into his face, which was now half-hidden in shadow. "Harry?"  
  
"Y-your father was Sirius," he repeated dumbly.  
  
"Yes, Harry. I'm Sirius Black's daughter by blood." She said quickly, as if saying the words hurt her. "But he's dead now. You saw it happen, so no use crying over spilled milk, right? I never even knew him, so it's not like I lost anything." She shrugged as if it were nothing.  
  
Harry gaped at her as if she was insane. "Sirius was a GREAT man. Don't talk about him like he didn't mean anything to anyone because HE DID. You should be proud to have him as you father."  
  
He launched into a whole speech about Sirius, even standing up and pacing in front of the fire, once in a while shooting Caitlin dirty looks like she should be ashamed of herself. The whole time, the girl kept staring at the fire, taking small bites of her smore and looking like she knew she should just be quiet and let him finish.  
  
Almost an hour later, Harry collapsed onto the sand, looking exhausted but happy that he had gotten all that about Sirius off his chest. Caitlin tossed him a canteen of hot chocolate and he gratefully took a huge gulp.  
  
"Thanks," he said, avoiding her stare. Now that he knew she had a little bit of Sirius in her, he didn't want to look into those eyes, now afraid that he would see his godfather staring at him through them.  
  
"I'm surprised you can even talk after that," Caitlin commented. She looked nervous about something but Harry hadn't noticed because he was still avoiding looking at her. "I know I ruined your last night here in St. Barts, but there's one more thing I have to tell you."  
  
"Oh, what could be more fun than finding out a girl you like is actually a half-vampire and your dead godfather's once-removed daughter or something sent to guard you from Voldemort." Harry said sarcastically.  
  
Caitlin looked at him sadly. "You have a reason to be mad because I lied to you, and I accept that and apologize for it. If you're still mad at me later, I'll just pass by your cabana before you leave and give you a paper with everything you need to know on it. Have fun tonight, Harry." She left, leaving nothing but footprints in the sand. 


	4. In The Shadows

Disclaimer: I-own-nothing! Except Caitlin and everyone of the like.ü  
  
A/N: I am soo sorry for the über late update! I got kind of stuck trying to think of a fight scene (I suck at them so sorry!) and got around to reading Lamentations Of A Starry-Eyed Twit. (Did I get the title right? Arrgh, sorry!) It's so pretty, I recommend reading it! Ü Anyways, down to the fic! Hope you guys like it and please review! Sorry for the lame fight scene..  
  
Does anyone know how to do indentations, bold and italicized fonts? It doesn't show up on FF.net. Darn it. I'm grateful to those who tell me.(  
  
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I hate it when he does that. Caitlin thought sourly, trudging back up the beach to the club. She glanced back at Harry Potter, who was now lying down on his back, chain smoking. She wrinkled her nose in distaste but inwardly she felt guilty. If she hadn't exposed him to her friends, he'd still be sweet and blissfully innocent of the taboos of Muggle society.  
  
She sighed and continued on her way, carefully dusting sand off her clothes. She didn't shop at Mango just to get them ruined on their first night out. Aargh, what's wrong with me!? she asked herself, pressing her knuckles into the sides of her forehead. She sat down on the side of the walk and rethought everything that had happened so far.  
  
She knew that she felt something for Harry, but maybe it was just a fluke. After all, she was supposed to watch over him so that would mean she cared, right? Her small hands once again dug into the sand around her as flashbacks of the last few days played themselves in her mind's eye. She hated herself for going against the Order's instructions. She should have just gone with the plan and for once thought about the consequences.  
  
The music from the club was making the air around her heavy and it smelled like too much perfume and sweat and made her dizzy. She was about to stand up and go home but then a sudden vibration from her pocket made her pause in midstep.  
  
Caitlin fished her phone out from her pocket. "Hey, Malfoy."  
  
*  
  
"Kace," Draco Malfoy greeted with a smirk, shifting the small Samsung phone he'd nicked to his other ear. Normally you wouldn't catch him anywhere near anything Muggle-made, but he had to admit that some of their contraptions were more convenient than sticking his head into the fire and having his hair messed up. Besides, he knew she wouldn't be home. She never was. And having her as his girlfriend for a while had its perks. At least he wasn't incompetent when it came to Muggle things like other wizards were: Embarrassing himself was one thing a Malfoy did NOT do.  
  
He paced around his room, glancing at his reflection in the mirror every time he passed it. His hair was rumpled and he was dressed in a Muggle sweater KC had given him and baggy jeans. He didn't know why he called her but he was glad that he did. It made him feel curiously light whenever he heard her voice.  
  
"Why'd you call, Draco?"  
  
He could just see her prop her phone up on her shoulder and smile slightly, looking amused.  
  
"I was thinking about what you said the other day," he said slowly, deliberately, running his fingers across the handcrafted desk.  
  
"Yeah, so what have you come up with?"  
  
"Well, you know it's gonna be hella weird. I'm not reveling in the possibility that I might have to be friends with Weasel and Potty."  
  
"And they don't want to be friends with a ferret either but you all have to at least try to get long."  
  
Draco, clearly surprised that she had gotten wind of that incident two years ago, made his way downstairs to get himself some food since he couldn't find a house elf anywhere. Inwardly he was annoyed but a little exercise never hurt anyone right? Once he got out into the hall he glanced at the torches, wondering why they had gone out.  
  
"Don't call me ferret. I'm still queasy towards rodents because of that nut- job Moody. I still have no idea why your grandfather keeps hiring those- OW!"  
  
On the other line, Caitlin heard a loud 'thump' and clothes rustling. "Why? What happened?" Her voice sounded worried and he could hear music in the background. He felt bad that he might be disturbing her.  
  
"Hold on," Draco pushed the small phone into the pocket of his pants and twisted around on the floor to see what he had tripped on. His eyes went wide with fear and shock as lifeless eyes so like his own stared back at him. "Mom?" he whispered, hardly daring to believe the sight in front of him.  
  
His feet were resting a few inches from her wrist and it made his body grow cold realizing that he'd tripped over her dead body. Blood was tinged into her pale blonde hair and Draco was sure that if she'd had anything to say about it, she'd clearly disapprove. Red was not her color. A shiver ran up his spine again as he realized he still saw her getting up the next day, taking her usual assortment of painkillers but a small part of him knew she'd never do that again.  
  
It felt like an eternity as he gazed at his mother's lifeless form, sprawled across the hallway floor ungraciously. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he stood back up and, hesitating, bent down across her and took the necklace hanging from her long, slender neck. Wincing, he closed her eyelids. He knew she hadn't expected being killed like that. But what he wondered about was why she had blood in her hair.  
  
The Cruciatus Curse? Avada Kedavra left no traces so it couldn't be that.  
  
Taking out his wand, he made his way downstairs avoiding the main hallways. "Lumos," he whispered, taking a detour behind a portrait of his great great grand something. The Malfoy Manor had tons of secret passageways but he couldn't risk using them now. There was no telling who was lurking around their house right now. Once he got to the entrance hall, he dodged a few more dead bodies he didn't recognize. How hadn't he heard the noise of a massacre? How hadn't he heard his mother's screams a few meters outside his door?  
  
Blue eyes scanning the darkness for anything threatening, he walked towards the fireplace. Normally, they didn't travel Floo but what other choice did he have? He couldn't risk going all the way to the broom shed.  
  
Something flickered in front of him and he stopped abruptly. "Who's there?" he called, trying to keep his voice steady. He was suddenly grateful for learning how to duel back in second year, even if it was from a twit like Lockhart.  
  
"You aren't trying to run away from home now, are you...son?"  
  
Draco's eyes went wide as the figure stepped into the moonlight. "Father?"  
  
Lucius Malfoy stood before his son, hands and robes stained with blood. His eyes had the look of someone who had gone quite mad. The hand that was gripping his wand was shaking, as if he was nervous but Draco knew that wasn't the case. His father had lost his mind and killed everyone in the house except him. But why?  
  
"Give it back to me, Draco." Lucius whispered in a croaky voice. He glanced nervously around the room as if he were doing something he shouldn't be.  
  
"Give what back?" Draco responded, clueless. Nervously he raised his wand higher to defend himself as his father exploded, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN!? DO NOT WANT TO FUCK WITH ME TONIGHT, DRACO!!"  
  
His father started panting, eyes popping out of his head. Despite himself, Draco took a few steps towards him, wearing a concerned expression. "Are you all-"  
  
"GET AWAY FROM ME!! Avada Kedavra!!"  
  
Draco quickly sidestepped the spell and dove towards the safety of his mother's antique sofa set. He gripped his wand to his chest, panting hard. He winced, feeling a sharp pain in his shoulder. Damn, his reflexes were rusty. He knew he didn't stand a chance against his father, despite all his study on the Dark Arts.  
  
"Come out, son. Malfoys don't hide behind their mother's ugly furniture!"  
  
Draco tore a piece of cloth from his shirt to try to stop his bleeding. His eyes were burning as he remembered his mother's lifeless body a few floors above him. "Yeah, and what IS a Malfoy supposed to do?" he yelled back, felling a new surge of hatred towards his father. All those years he had bragged about him, trying to act proud of what he was; it was all a lie. He was ashamed of what his father was: Nothing but a pawn in a psycho's game of chess. He hated the fact that the life his parents had planned for him was exactly like theirs. Well, tonight that was going to have to change.  
  
"Malfoys face everything in front of them. I thought I had raised you better than to be a spineless coward, Draco."  
  
"You!? RAISE ME!?" Draco roared, now extremely pissed. "You have done nothing but criticize me my whole life! Nothing I've done has ever been good enough for you, FATHER!" He spat the words out like they were poison.  
  
He heard Lucius open his mouth, about to say something, and he took his chance. Standing up from where he had been seeking shelter, he yelled "Borgio!" and ropes erupted from the end of his wand, speeding towards his father to bind him.  
  
But Lucius was too fast. He sent flames towards the ropes, reducing them to ashes. "Crucio!" he screeched.  
  
Draco doubled over, screaming in pain like he'd never screamed before. He felt like red-hot pokers were digging into every inch of his body, skewering him into the ground. His head felt like it was in a vice with spikes and it was about to explode.  
  
As quickly as the pain had come, it vanished, leaving aches where the pain had been intense. Draco struggled to stand up and face his father. He almost cried out again as he tried to support himself on his left arm and failed terribly. His bones were worse than broken. He strained his legs, which were both wobbling badly, to support his weight as he stood up. He gripped his shoulder, trying to help stop the bleeding.  
  
Lucius smirked, eyes lighting up with some evil idea. "I'm proud of you, Draco. You can stand even after that?" His laugh echoed through the empty house.  
  
"Why did you kill her?" Draco hissed through gritted teeth.  
  
His father stopped laughing abruptly and stared at him. "What? Speak up, boy!"  
  
"WHY DID YOU KILL HER?" Draco yelled, fixing his most intense glare at this man.  
  
Lucius lowered his wand and stumbled back, looking shocked. Silence fell between the two. Draco kept glaring at him, now oblivious to the pain in what remained of his shoulder.  
  
Finally Lucius spoke. "I... I didn't mean to kill her.... It just...happened."  
  
"Bullshit," Draco spat. He finally let go of his shoulder and pointed his wand. "We duel." He said simply, positioning his hand in front of his face.  
  
"Surely you don't expect me to duel with what's left of you, son." Lucius laughed as if the mere thought was ludicrous.  
  
Draco aimed his wand at the wall behind his father and shot at it. The wall exploded, leaving a hole bigger than their front door, which was saying something. "I'm serious. Brace yourself, father."  
  
Lucius' eyes widened even more, enhancing his look of madness. Then he smiled. "Bow, Draco. Bow to death."  
  
"We'll see about that." Draco whispered, running all the jinxes he had ever learned in his head and trying to think of the best one.  
  
"One.... Two..." Lucius counted, his voice echoing ten-fold in the vast entrance hall.  
  
"Stupefy!" Both parties yelled, simultaneously trying to dodge the other's jinx.  
  
Lucius dove to the side, landing hard on his bad elbow. Draco knew this and, forgetting about the Stunning Spell, pointed his wand to him. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
  
Something whizzed past his ear the second he uttered those words, but thankfully only his shoulder was hit. Again.  
  
Wincing as he felt wave after wave of pain wrack his body, he stumbled forward, trying to blink his own blood out of his eyes. Dimly, his mind was aware of something appearing in the fireplace but his cheek was pressed against the cold marble floor and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and find out the whole thing was a nightmare. His mind wavered in and out of reality and finally gave in to sleep.  
  
*  
  
Caitlin stumbled out of the Malfoy's main fireplace, looking around wildly for any sign of something alive. The silence was ringing in her ears after the deafening sounds of the club. She'd heard everything that happened. Stupid Draco, leaving his phone open.  
  
Tears pressed against her eyes but she held them back, telling herself that she had to find him first. With a flick of her wand, she set the torches blazing again. The heels of her boots clicked noisily as she crossed the room.  
  
Lumps were scattered all around the room but the one she was looking for was sprawled at the far end, his blonde hair tousled and tinged with blood.  
  
"Draco..." She nudged him softly. Her eyes narrowed when he saw his wounds. Dammit. She felt his pulse. Still alive. Caitlin made him float towards the couch, being careful to support his shoulder, lest his arm fall off. Looking around, she was greatly reminded of World War 2. Caitlin walked carefully back to the fireplace but stopped abruptly when she saw Lucius Malfoy's lifeless form.  
  
Her hand immediately went over her mouth. She walked over to his body, tears now forming around her eyes. "Uncle Lucius...." She bent down over his body, now unable to resist the urge to cry. Deep down, she had no idea why she was crying over someone whom she knew was a total asshole, but she knew this man had meant something to someone. When she was a child he used to give her treats and candies. Now looking into his slightly open but lifeless eyes, she wondered what had happened to that man.  
  
Pulling herself together, she made her way back to the fireplace and knelt down. Sticking her head into the fire, she yelled "Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"  
  
Her grandfather's office swam in front of her eyes but his chair was empty. "Dumbledore!" she called, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, was there.  
  
One of the chairs in front of the desk swiveled around and a girl with bushy hair stared back at her, giving out a strangled cry. Caitlin had no time for this.  
  
"Where's Dumbledore?" she asked, mildly irritated now. Who was this girl and what was she doing in her grandfather's office?  
  
"He's down in Hagrid's hut," the girl explained. "I can tell him you popped in-."  
  
"Do I look like someone who has time for that?" Caitlin snapped. Her knees were starting to hurt. "Go call him and Madame Pomfry." The bushy haired girl kept staring at her. "Oh honestly!" She pulled her head out of the fire with a small 'pop' and reappeared in her entirety.  
  
"Who are you?" Caitlin asked, perfectly plucked eyebrow raised.  
  
The other girl seemed to puff up indignantly. "My name's Hermione Granger. And who, may I ask, are you?"  
  
Caitlin almost laughed at her attitude. It was actually quite cute. So this was the girl Draco was in love with, huh? "I'm Caitlin Moore. I need to get to Dumbledore. Mind fetching him for me?"  
  
Now Hermione seemed to puff up even more. "Excuse me! I'm not your little servant girl! Who do you think you are, exactly?"  
  
"'Exactly'?" Caitlin repeated, trying not to laugh. "I just told you who I am. Or don't you understand the words coming out of my mouth?"  
  
"Look, just get out of here before I hex you-"  
  
Someone cleared their throat from behind them. Both girls turned around, looking annoyed. Dumbledore stood in the doorway, smiling amusedly. "Why, hello, Caitlin dear. Glad to see you've come to visit. I see you've met Miss Granger," He nodded towards Hermione, blue eyes twinkling.  
  
"Dumbledore, we don't have time for this. Lucius Malfoy escaped from Azkaban and went mad. He killed the whole household except for Draco and I think he's dying too."  
  
Hermione's hands went to her face as she gave a whimper at this news. Caitlin ignored her and went on.  
  
"We need a MediWizard and a clean-up crew."  
  
Dumbledore, ever the calm one, simply nodded and turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, would you mind calling Madame Pomfry and tell her to come to the Malfoy Manor immediately. Caitlin, lead the way."  
  
*  
  
No sleep  
  
No sleep until I'm done with finding the answer  
  
Won't stop  
  
Won't stop before I find the cure for this cancer  
  
Sometimes I feel like going down, I'm so disconnected  
  
Somehow I know that I am haunted to be wanted  
  
I've been watching, I've been waiting  
  
In the shadows for my time  
  
I've been searching, I've been living  
  
For tomorrows all my life  
  
In the shadows...  
  
In the shadows...  
  
They say that I must learn to kill before I can feel safe  
  
But I, I'd rather kill myself than turn into their slave  
  
Sometimes I feel that I should go and play with the thunder  
  
Somehow I just don't wanna stay and wait for a wonder  
  
I've been watching, I've been waiting  
  
In the shadows for my time  
  
I've been searching, I've been living  
  
For tomorrows all my life  
  
Lately, I've been walking, walking in circles  
  
Watching, waiting for something  
  
Feel me, touch me, heal me  
  
Come take me higher  
  
I've been watching, I've been waiting  
  
In the shadows for my time  
  
I've been searching, I've been living  
  
For tomorrows all my life  
  
I've been watching,  
  
I've been waiting,  
  
I've been searching,  
  
I've been living,  
  
For tomorrows...  
  
In the shadows...  
  
In the shadows...  
  
I've been waiting...  
  
*  
  
Draco stirred. His head felt woozy and his whole body felt weighed down by something. He tried to sit up but couldn't. He opened his eyes to find a pure white ceiling. Wherever he was, it was as sure as hell quiet. Summoning all the strength he had at the moment, he sat up and immediately regretted it. The sudden rush of blood to his head made it pound even worse.  
  
He looked around, wondering where he was. The last thing he remembered was being in the entrance hall of their house with- Stop it! he told himself angrily, holding his head in his hands, trying to squeeze away the pain.  
  
After a few more moments of self-torture, he looked around. Granger? he mused, seeing her sleeping in a leather armchair across his bed. I must be dreaming, he told himself, climbing out of the soft haven he'd been in for God knows how long. He flexed his shoulder, marveling at how much better it felt. He took a step and almost fell forward, were it not for his firm grip on a bedpost. God, his legs felt like jelly.  
  
Jelly. He thought: Food.  
  
Draco managed his way quietly downstairs, realizing that he knew whose house this was. He recognized the girl smiling down from the photos hanging in the hall.  
  
"Oh, give me that! You don't know how to fix a bed!"  
  
"I do so!"  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"Do to!"  
  
Draco leaned across the doorframe, watching amusedly as Caitlin played tug of war with the Boy Who Unfortunately Lived.  
  
Harry gave the sheet an almighty wrench and Caitlin fell on top of him and they collapsed into fits of laughter onto the carpeted floor.  
  
Caitlin punched Harry's chest lightly. "I told you I should fix the bed!"  
  
"Yeah, can you be part of the bed then?" Harry grinned, grabbing a sheet and covering her in it. Caitlin squealed and they rolled around, laughing.  
  
Draco cleared his throat, making them aware of his presence. He knew he didn't really have any feelings for her anymore, but seeing her having fun with another guy still kind of stung. But it didn't mean he still liked her, did it?  
  
Caitlin emerged from the mess of blankets and screamed, "Draco!" She shot up and ran the length of the room, ending in a tight hug. Draco winced as she hit his shoulder but didn't say anything. "You're better! You're better, you're better, you're better!"  
  
Draco hugged her back, more tightly than he'd intended to, but thankfully Caitlin hadn't noticed. "Yeah. Mind telling me what happened?"  
  
Harry stood silently, musing about what the odds were that he'd ever see Draco Malfoy standing in a Muggle living room, actually talking like a civilized human being. Nil to a billion, probably. If there were anything higher than a billion, it would probably be that.  
  
Caitlin glanced at Harry then back to Draco. "First you two have to promise to be, if not friends, at least decent to each other."  
  
"Me, friends with Scarhead?!" Draco sneered the same time Harry cried, "Friends with the Amazing Bouncing Ferret!?"  
  
They glared at each other.  
  
Draco smirked. "Glad to see that you're aware of the impossibility of someone like me being friends with you, Potty."  
  
"Someone like you? You mean a dirty, snuck-up little ferret?" Harry shot back.  
  
The argument continued.  
  
Caitlin sighed, pressing her fingers on her forehead. "Both of you, come on. Or else I'll sic Aaron, Spyke AND Hermione on you."  
  
That shut them up.  
  
She sat down on the couch. "I know I owe both of you answers, but you two have to shut up while I'm giving them to you." Her blue eyes looked up at them pleadingly.  
  
Harry sighed and gave in. He sat down on the couch beside her, not saying a word. Caitlin mouthed him 'thanks' and turned back to Draco. The boy shrugged and sat down on the floor in front of her, flashing Harry one last sneer.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Ok, ok. I swear, you two act like children."  
  
"You should see them at school." Hermione said suddenly from the doorway. She walked in and sat down beside Draco, who suddenly turned pink. "You can't talk about the whole situation without me. No one's said a word to me since we got here a few days ago."  
  
"Days?" Draco repeated. "I've been unconscious for DAYS?"  
  
Caitlin nodded. "The situation is that Voldemort-" Harry gaped at her for saying his name out loud. "knows about the prophecy now. And he's not afraid of Harry anymore. I was actually surprised at first that he was."  
  
Draco snorted but the three other people glared at him. He raised his hands up in defeat. "What!?" he said indignantly.  
  
Hermione brushed a lock of hair away from her face. Over the years, her hair had thankfully been tamed a bit but it still looked a little frizzy. But now that she'd gotten older, she'd filled out in all the right places. "I still have no idea who you are," she said in her snotty way.  
  
Caitlin grunted in frustration and leaned back into the sofa, looking pissed. Her long blonde hair fell in front of her face, making her look like a 5-year-old who'd been asked to eat all her vegetables.  
  
Harry put a comforting arm on her thigh, thus receiving one of Draco's dirtiest looks ever. "You don't have to talk about it. I can explain to you later, Hermione," He turned to his best friend with an apologetic look.  
  
"I'll just answer your questions, then. I'm sick of telling the whole freakin' story." Caitlin said sourly.  
  
Hermione jumped at the chance. "What are you doing with Harry?"  
  
"I was sent by Dumbledore to guard and train him. Probably you and Weasley as well."  
  
"Why you?"  
  
"Because I was the best qualified for the job." Caitlin answered with a slight smirk.  
  
Hermione ignored it. "Train him to what?"  
  
"To face the Dark Lord. Duh."  
  
"How?"  
  
Caitlin sighed. "You're going to find yourselves wand less at one point or another. What do you propose to do then?" She took their silence as being clueless. "I learned one thing from Mad-Eye Moody, and that's constant vigilance. You guys have to learn how to defend yourselves without your wands. To use magic without your wands."  
  
"That's impossible," Hermione said incredulously. "I'm a Muggle-born. I can't use magic without a wa-"  
  
"Dear," Caitlin interrupted. "How do you think you got into Hogwarts if you didn't have a little magic in your blood? You should worry about physical combat instead of doing magic. You look a bit too fragile for what I'm going to be teaching you guys."  
  
Now, Hermione isn't the type of girl who would accept that remark from anyone, much less from another girl who was more petite than she was. She flushed red that would have rivaled Ron. "Excuse me!" she cried, looking scandalized.  
  
Harry looked at her. "Well, you have to admit, Hermione. You're not sporty or anything." He said, looking a bit sheepish.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione punched him hard in the shin, but inwardly she agreed with him.  
  
"Ow!" Harry yelped, gripping his leg. This made Draco laugh hysterically. Harry glared at him. "Think that's funny, do you? You good-for-nothing little git!"  
  
Draco immediately stopped laughing and drew his wand. "Watch your mouth, Scarhead," he hissed.  
  
"GOD! Would both of you stop it!?" Caitlin cried. She grabbed Draco's wand and threw all of them a dirty look. "Harry, I know you'll hate me but you need Draco's help with magic. He knows more about the Dark Arts than you do, and he's the only 16 year old to ever successfully do Avada Kedavra. You need his help. Emphasis on 'need'."  
  
She turned to Draco. "I know what happened that night at the mansion. You're on our side now whether you like it or not. Either that or take your father's place; your choice."  
  
Now Caitlin turned to Hermione. "I'm in charge." She said simply. She stood up gracefully and swept out of the room.  
  
"Damn, is she always this bitchy?" Harry asked no one in particular.  
  
"You don't know the half of it." Draco replied with a sigh.  
  
"Guess she isn't little miss perfect after all." Hermione said with a smirk that made Draco proud.  
  
"Nope, but she as sure as hell comes close to it," Harry said, more to himself.  
  
Draco heard him. 


End file.
